7/31/2003
The Florida Dept. of Campaigning for Rightwingers
Jerry "Biblical spanking" Regier, the Oklahoma Theocrat who runs DCF, must be feeling pretty safe in office after weathering criticism over his way-out-there essays about immorality of women working outside the home and corporal punishment. He's openly running Republican election campaigns while working for the State of Florida.
(Via the Republicans at Sayfie)
(Via the Republicans at Sayfie)
7/30/2003
Know your college reptiles
7/29/2003
More school cutbacks (cont.)
Around the state, local public school budgets are being cut because of inadequate state funding and the refusal of the governor and Legislature to fund the Class size amendment adequately.
+ Orange County. (perishable link.) Even with a slight tax increase, Orange County School District's $2 billion budget trims everything from bike-safety programs to 192 custodial positions. . . . The proposed budget freezes wages for the district's 19,641 employees, although Budget Director Henry Boekhoff said the board should be able to juggle some accounts so that workers could have a cost-of-living increase before the spending plan is approved in September.
+ Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County School Board tentatively eliminated teacher aides, seventh-period electives and many high school guidance counselors for the coming school year as part of its largest budget ever. The $2.6 billion budget considered Monday cuts almost $60 million from existing programs.
+ Lake County. Lake County School Board members met Monday afternoon to discuss a $6.6 million budget shortfall and potential cuts.
+ Broward County. Even with the largest budget in its history, the Broward School Board faces difficult choices tonight. Among them is whether to cancel popular after-class athletics in middle school or take money from educational programs during the school day.
+ Hillsborough County. The school board saved close to two million dollars by getting rid of teacher aides. They also eliminated an after school program and made cuts in the athletic department.
(To be continued . . .)
+ Orange County. (perishable link.) Even with a slight tax increase, Orange County School District's $2 billion budget trims everything from bike-safety programs to 192 custodial positions. . . . The proposed budget freezes wages for the district's 19,641 employees, although Budget Director Henry Boekhoff said the board should be able to juggle some accounts so that workers could have a cost-of-living increase before the spending plan is approved in September.
+ Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County School Board tentatively eliminated teacher aides, seventh-period electives and many high school guidance counselors for the coming school year as part of its largest budget ever. The $2.6 billion budget considered Monday cuts almost $60 million from existing programs.
+ Lake County. Lake County School Board members met Monday afternoon to discuss a $6.6 million budget shortfall and potential cuts.
+ Broward County. Even with the largest budget in its history, the Broward School Board faces difficult choices tonight. Among them is whether to cancel popular after-class athletics in middle school or take money from educational programs during the school day.
+ Hillsborough County. The school board saved close to two million dollars by getting rid of teacher aides. They also eliminated an after school program and made cuts in the athletic department.
(To be continued . . .)
7/28/2003
The Florida Angle
It is a truth universally acknowledged that every major story has within it, somewhere, a Florida angle. More proof.
Minority rules
St. Pete Times editorial talks about the unfairness of winner-take-all primaries, comparing Florida's upcoming Senate race to the brewing mess in California.
7/27/2003
The peripatetic Shattered Buddha
Shattered Buddha has moved again. Just one subdirectory over, though. And of course, always worth following around.
Be afraid, be very afraid
In an otherwise unremarkable story about Johnnie Byrd campaigning U.S. Senate is this choice nugget:
He also disclosed an ambitious goal. He said he wants to become U.S. Senate majority leader, an objective he said he was sharing to show he is not a politician who will deliver a mediocre performance.
No record of any questions about the Legislature's mediccre performance this year.
He also disclosed an ambitious goal. He said he wants to become U.S. Senate majority leader, an objective he said he was sharing to show he is not a politician who will deliver a mediocre performance.
No record of any questions about the Legislature's mediccre performance this year.
7/26/2003
World War I Induction Cards
Liz Donovan over that Herald notes that you can look up any Florida WWI vet at the Florida Archives World War I Induction Card Index. Very cool.
Here's the card for David Sholtz, Florida's New Deal governor (and here's the picture to prove it) and the only governor from my home town of Daytona Beach.
Here's the card for David Sholtz, Florida's New Deal governor (and here's the picture to prove it) and the only governor from my home town of Daytona Beach.
We suppress, you decide
I was all up for decrying The Florida News Channel's curious fussiness about airing ads from state Democrats but South of the Suwannee has been there already, so take a look over there. The ads talked about Jeb's counterproductive hardball tactics, something every newspaper in the state has written about, but which seem to be news to the management.
(And don't bother looking at FNC's web site. It has no information about the channel, its ownership or anything it does. It's one of those puzzling sites that make you wonder why anyone bothered putting it up.)
Oh well, the Dems should he happy: the ads got more attention as a result of this flap than if they actually ran.
(And don't bother looking at FNC's web site. It has no information about the channel, its ownership or anything it does. It's one of those puzzling sites that make you wonder why anyone bothered putting it up.)
Oh well, the Dems should he happy: the ads got more attention as a result of this flap than if they actually ran.
Byrd's Ministry of Information
Your tax dollars at work: Johnnie Byrd uses public resources to advance his senate campaign and mobilize right-to-lifers.
Byrd, a U.S. Senate candidate, and fellow Republican Rep. Sandra Murman of Tampa signed the letter that features the official House seal and letterhead. The mailing included cards with prepaid postage asking for recipients' addresses and e-mail addresses "to let me know you support our cause."
The letters are dated July 18, the day Byrd filed his paperwork as a U.S. Senate candidate.
Byrd, a U.S. Senate candidate, and fellow Republican Rep. Sandra Murman of Tampa signed the letter that features the official House seal and letterhead. The mailing included cards with prepaid postage asking for recipients' addresses and e-mail addresses "to let me know you support our cause."
The letters are dated July 18, the day Byrd filed his paperwork as a U.S. Senate candidate.
7/24/2003
The red Corvette story
Several newspapers have excellent accounts of Florida International Atlantic University's decision to use charitable donations to gift its outgoing president with a shiny red Corvette and the felony charges that resulted. The Palm Beach Post not only ran a good story on the former president's statements to investigators and a musical based on the same but for those who truly can't get enough, it has a pdf file of the whole 141-page FDLE report.
I think it's a wonderful thing when newspapers post the source material behind a story. I can think of few better ways to bolster credibility to an often skeptical readership.
I think it's a wonderful thing when newspapers post the source material behind a story. I can think of few better ways to bolster credibility to an often skeptical readership.
Life under the education governor
Around the state, local public school budgets are being cut because of inadequate state funding.
+ Palm Beach Co.
+ Volusia County
+ Brevard County
+ Lake County
To be continued ...
+ Palm Beach Co.
+ Volusia County
+ Brevard County
+ Lake County
To be continued ...
7/23/2003
Where all the 4th graders are above average
Average is not good enough to get promoted into 4th grade under Florida's rigid high-stakes testing system and Jeb's last-minute idea of using reading camps for instant remediation. See this NY Times piece -- Rigidity in Florida and the Results.
Dept. of Summer Hoaxes
(Nelson Muntz voice) Haw-haw! (/Nelson Muntz voice) Bambi hunting is a hoax and neocon Orlando Sentinel scold Kathleen Parker fell for it. Sorry, this one should have made the bullshit detector go off.
(via Romensko)
(via Romensko)
7/22/2003
Byrd gets the Jebbites
Conventional wisdom has been that Dan Webster is The Annointed One in the Republican US Senate race, but it's Byrd who is getting his staff from Jeb's shop. Meanwhile Mr. Great Day in the State of Florida says that having already shaken down lobbyists during the special session, it's time to back off.
Good advice
7/19/2003
Political vehicle
Last week I wrote a piece about Bob Graham's venture into auto racing advertising and the demographics behind it. Now, according to the Herald's autoracing columnist, it looks like he bet on the right truck.
(Via Infomanaic)
(Via Infomanaic)
7/18/2003
'Even though he's in my party, he is not King Jeb the First'
How bad is it getting between Jeb and the Republican Senate? Old pro Bill Cotterell gives some perspective in the blandly headlined analysis piece
Republican feuding continues.
Gov. Jeb Bush's aggressive arm-twisting in the Senate appears to have badly damaged political relations that were already severely strained long before the special session on medical malpractice.
"It's almost like we're not allowed to have an opinion," Senate Majority Leader Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, said ...
Republican feuding continues.
Gov. Jeb Bush's aggressive arm-twisting in the Senate appears to have badly damaged political relations that were already severely strained long before the special session on medical malpractice.
"It's almost like we're not allowed to have an opinion," Senate Majority Leader Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, said ...
Monster killed!
I love a good monster-alligator-defeated photo. It feeds the The Great Sunshine State Myth and makes people think twice about country livin'. (The story's here, like it's necessary.)
7/17/2003
The truth behind the little lemonade girl story
Sometimes when a story sounds too perfect, maybe it's because a professional media consultant is involved. The St. Pete Times runs The Truth behind the Little Lemonade Girl Story. Sheesh, I fell for it, too.
(Via a whole bunch of people)
(Via a whole bunch of people)
The standup guy
A St. Pete Times editorial talks about Speaker Byrd's special interest shakedown machine -- Byrd's preening has a purpose. Headline Writer: Now that he's openly running for US Senate and will be in the news all the time -- and I mean all the the time -- let's take the the pledge to lay off the Byrd/bird puns.
Byrd says Floridians will want him as their U.S. senator because he's a "standup guy." From the looks of his campaign to date, what he's doing is more like a stickup.
The Palm Beach Post's take - Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, is running for the U.S. Senate, and why are we not surprised? He set himself up in the speaker's office last year with a public relations staff of 13 people, costing the public $600,000. Either he was running for higher office or filming a major motion picture.
In the Stuart News Joe Crankshaw has a strong, outraged column -- The speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Rep. Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, is an ambitious man with apparently little shame or few inhibitions.
Byrd says Floridians will want him as their U.S. senator because he's a "standup guy." From the looks of his campaign to date, what he's doing is more like a stickup.
The Palm Beach Post's take - Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, is running for the U.S. Senate, and why are we not surprised? He set himself up in the speaker's office last year with a public relations staff of 13 people, costing the public $600,000. Either he was running for higher office or filming a major motion picture.
In the Stuart News Joe Crankshaw has a strong, outraged column -- The speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Rep. Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, is an ambitious man with apparently little shame or few inhibitions.
7/16/2003
Blog sighting
Another Florida political blog heard from -- South of the Suwannee. Higher ed, politics and Florida comment links. I'm sure I'll be back there regularly.
Tardy link update
Shattered Buddha moved from its old Blogspot place to a new address more than a week ago and I only now got around to updating its "Select Fla. blogs" link.
He uses Typepad now which gives him many more geek points than his old Blogger-powered site. Very cool, mostly-Florida related links. Today he notes a review of a Florida-filmed move that might be the worst review I've ever seen of a flick from a major studio.
He uses Typepad now which gives him many more geek points than his old Blogger-powered site. Very cool, mostly-Florida related links. Today he notes a review of a Florida-filmed move that might be the worst review I've ever seen of a flick from a major studio.
7/15/2003
How con-v-e-e-e-n-ient
Jim DeFede slams Penelas for for his selective memory on Nelson Mandela
Well, maybe it's not a 'crisis' after all
The Senate's taking of testimony under oath is serving to clarify the Florida malpractice situation somewhat. The picture-- More doctors coming in, no sharp rise in settlements, There is no avalanche of frivolous lawsuits against doctors.
It's a beautiful day to be a special interest lobbyist
Johnnie Byrd decides that he can do for Congress what he's done for the Florida Legislature. Heaven help us.
Step One: shake down special interests for money while the Legislature is meeting. And guess who wants to pour money into the Byrd campaign during a medical malpractice special session. Larry Overton & Associates, a leading lobbyist for the HMO industry. Notes the Times - "The fund's largest contribution was $25,000, and came in two installments from a workers' compensation insurance company owned by Associated Industries of Florida."
Step two: Turn out the base.
It's a beautiful day in the state of Florida!
Step One: shake down special interests for money while the Legislature is meeting. And guess who wants to pour money into the Byrd campaign during a medical malpractice special session. Larry Overton & Associates, a leading lobbyist for the HMO industry. Notes the Times - "The fund's largest contribution was $25,000, and came in two installments from a workers' compensation insurance company owned by Associated Industries of Florida."
Step two: Turn out the base.
It's a beautiful day in the state of Florida!
7/14/2003
The Progressive Cornet Marching Band
My ol' buddy Nolin is at his best as a crime-and-sleaze-in-the-naked-city reporter, but he did a wonderful job telling about The Progressive Cornet Marching Band, a Miami Dixieland-via-the-Bahamas funeral band.
Not dead
Katherine Harris is not dead. And Jeb wasn't at the crash scene, either. (Salter column on the odd retraction.)
(Via Romenesko)
(Via Romenesko)
Another yet editoral on the arrogance of Jeb
The Sarasota Hearald Trib, whose circulation area includes the district of one of the senators threatened by Jeb's aide, defends Senate Republicans' stance on malpractice.
The governor's remarks were typical of his style. Bush, whose own ambitions led him to run for governor without having held any elective office, has a habit of questioning the motives of anyone who disagrees with him. Those who don't like his education program are accused of condoning low standards. Those, including Republicans, who propose eliminating sales-tax exemptions are labeled as proponents of big government and irresponsible budgeting.
Such arrogance wears thin, and stifles debate and dissent. ...
The governor's remarks were typical of his style. Bush, whose own ambitions led him to run for governor without having held any elective office, has a habit of questioning the motives of anyone who disagrees with him. Those who don't like his education program are accused of condoning low standards. Those, including Republicans, who propose eliminating sales-tax exemptions are labeled as proponents of big government and irresponsible budgeting.
Such arrogance wears thin, and stifles debate and dissent. ...
7/12/2003
Bullying backlash in Senate
7/11/2003
More heavy-handedness on medi-mal
The medi-mal session is turning into a closer thing than most folks expected. The conventional wisdom was that Gov. Jeb's heavy-handed tactics doomed a session that already had scant chance of success. But the House offered a tepid compromise on damage caps which created a little forward momentum.
Meanwhile, the Senate is taking the not unreasonable step of calling for a study on just why malpractice rates spiked. The governor is outraged at their presumptuousness.
Meanwhile a Jeb aide indicates that he's OK with opposing re-election of Republican senators who aren't getting in line and works closely with med industry lobbyists to orchestrate attacks on Republican senators who are asking too many question.
(The St. Pete Times runs a handy Q-and-A with medi-mal basics.)
Meanwhile, the Senate is taking the not unreasonable step of calling for a study on just why malpractice rates spiked. The governor is outraged at their presumptuousness.
Meanwhile a Jeb aide indicates that he's OK with opposing re-election of Republican senators who aren't getting in line and works closely with med industry lobbyists to orchestrate attacks on Republican senators who are asking too many question.
(The St. Pete Times runs a handy Q-and-A with medi-mal basics.)
7/09/2003
More on medi-mal
Reluctantly, because the subject is so intensely complex and boring to readers, I wrote about medi-mal, pointing out that Gov. Jeb will break the record for special sessions. And just in time, because the governor is really starting to piss off the senators, even the ones who want to support him.
The Gainesville Sun wonders where did Gov. Jeb Bush learn his leadership skills? From Genghis Khan?
It could be a long, hot summer in Tallahassee. The governor has decided to "lead" by intimidation. Lawmakers don't respond well to intimidation. Bush poisons the well when he should be parting the waters.
(Thanks to Fla. Politics.)
Troxler sympathizes with the senators -- It must be a heck of a feeling, being a Republican senator, having worked your whole political career to bring about a Republican majority in Florida, and then seeing your own party machinery used to vilify you under the direction of a governor for whom you broke your back in the election.
+ Miami Herald: Cut the rhetoric seek, the truth.
+ Palm Beach Post: Crisis ends when Bush stops pouting.
+ Florida Today: Governor's inflexibility blocks insurance solution.
The Gainesville Sun wonders where did Gov. Jeb Bush learn his leadership skills? From Genghis Khan?
It could be a long, hot summer in Tallahassee. The governor has decided to "lead" by intimidation. Lawmakers don't respond well to intimidation. Bush poisons the well when he should be parting the waters.
(Thanks to Fla. Politics.)
Troxler sympathizes with the senators -- It must be a heck of a feeling, being a Republican senator, having worked your whole political career to bring about a Republican majority in Florida, and then seeing your own party machinery used to vilify you under the direction of a governor for whom you broke your back in the election.
+ Miami Herald: Cut the rhetoric seek, the truth.
+ Palm Beach Post: Crisis ends when Bush stops pouting.
+ Florida Today: Governor's inflexibility blocks insurance solution.
Cutbacks for students, pay raises for university presidents
The University of Florida is undetered by a silly ol' state law capping salaries and is going for an Enron-style executive compensation package. The next UF president may get up to $900,000 a year. Looks like you kids are going to have to dig just a little a deeper to go to school in Florida.
From the Republicans at Sayfie
From the Republicans at Sayfie
7/08/2003
Tension builds on medi-mal
I have avoided writing about medical malpractice because it's so complicated and hard to explain. It's like writing about tort reform and tort reform. Gannett Newspapers has a really good medi-mal special session page. The Duval Medical Society has posted Jim King's oft-quoted letter to Jeb Bush. (Here's the Jeb letter that King was responding to posted -- predictably -- on the Associated Industries of Florida site.)
The senators are pissed off at Jeb -- finally -- and this special session is looking useless.
The senators are pissed off at Jeb -- finally -- and this special session is looking useless.
7/07/2003
When you're only halfway up, you're neither up nor down
The Grapefruit is still struggling with the folks at MSN to get back on-line. The anonymous insiders claim they'll be back up by the time the next medi-mal session starts. Good luck, we've been missing you.
The best issue Foley's consultants could come up with
Naturalists react to Rep. Foley's phony nudist-menace issue.
Nudist activists took notice recently when Foley demanded that the media respect his privacy regarding rumors about his sexual orientation. ''We're all parents, and we're just asking for the privacy to raise our children in the way we want to."
Nudist activists took notice recently when Foley demanded that the media respect his privacy regarding rumors about his sexual orientation. ''We're all parents, and we're just asking for the privacy to raise our children in the way we want to."
7/04/2003
Blogging/mailing Update
My son, Nathan, is in the process of redesigning Flablog, and oh, it will look cool! Give it a week or two.
Meanwhile, my apologies to those who have received automated challenges from the new spam filter, but damn, it really works. Not one piece of junk e-mail has gone through. I know white-listing or challenge-response filtering has its detractors (see earlier post) but it really does work. Remember back when you read all your e-mail? Those days are back for me. Going through my unfiltered work account, by contrast, is like rooting through the trash to find something I accidentally threw away.
Meanwhile, my apologies to those who have received automated challenges from the new spam filter, but damn, it really works. Not one piece of junk e-mail has gone through. I know white-listing or challenge-response filtering has its detractors (see earlier post) but it really does work. Remember back when you read all your e-mail? Those days are back for me. Going through my unfiltered work account, by contrast, is like rooting through the trash to find something I accidentally threw away.
Undermining the library (cont.)
You will recall that when the Jebbites tried to shutter the state library, one of their arguments was that the not enough people really used it. Well, the library and archives have been saved but now, Secretary of State Glenda Hood's office has announced that the libary is going from an open-stack system to a closed-sticks, no-browsing system.
More roadblocks to using the library => fewer people use the library => state closes library citing lack of use.
Amazing.
(From the Republicans at Sayfie)
More roadblocks to using the library => fewer people use the library => state closes library citing lack of use.
Amazing.
(From the Republicans at Sayfie)
7/03/2003
Get the dumb kids outta here
Here's a good example of why better FCAT scores don't always mean schools are doing a better job. Sometimes they only mean schools are doing a better job a weeding out students taking the test.
7/02/2003
TSA rips off columnist
The Transportation Security Administration ripped off St. Pete Times columnist Bill Maxwell and he is pissed off.
And, it seems, he has lots of company. Two baggage screeners were arrested in Miami for stealing from luggage.
Sheesh. When TSA isn't bullying passengers and groping female passengers, it's flat out stealing passengers' stuff. Does anyone feel safer with this group on the job?
And, it seems, he has lots of company. Two baggage screeners were arrested in Miami for stealing from luggage.
Sheesh. When TSA isn't bullying passengers and groping female passengers, it's flat out stealing passengers' stuff. Does anyone feel safer with this group on the job?
Not with the party line
In the highly politicized world of the Florida Department of Children & Families we have already seen state workers fired for not giving preferential treatment to a state senator's mom, now their spokesman is fired for not being anti-abortion enough.
Yvonne Vassel had made public statements in the controversial case of a raped, mentally disabled woman that did not conform with Gov. Jeb Bush's and DCF Secretary Jerry Regier's anti-abortion positions. Uh-oh.
Later in the day, Vassel was ordered to a closed-door meeting with Orlando's District 7 Administrator David Dennis, who, she said, wagged his finger at her and declared, "Secretary Regier is pro-life. Gov. Bush is pro-life. And as far as I'm concerned, that's what we're going to reflect."
(Via Fla. Politics)
Yvonne Vassel had made public statements in the controversial case of a raped, mentally disabled woman that did not conform with Gov. Jeb Bush's and DCF Secretary Jerry Regier's anti-abortion positions. Uh-oh.
Later in the day, Vassel was ordered to a closed-door meeting with Orlando's District 7 Administrator David Dennis, who, she said, wagged his finger at her and declared, "Secretary Regier is pro-life. Gov. Bush is pro-life. And as far as I'm concerned, that's what we're going to reflect."
(Via Fla. Politics)
7/01/2003
Spam wall
If you send me e-mail from the address on this page, you are likely to get a computer-generated note asking if you want to be added to the allowed-mail list, or something like that. Not to worry, I opted on to Earthlink's strict spam filter which uses a challenge-response strategy.
The volume of spam I get is overwhelming so I have had to go to strict filtering. Some mail is going to lost. Some people will feel insulted by the auto-reply. I'm very sorry. But the amount of spam has doubled over the past few months.
Yes, a lot of people don't like this system and some really don't like it. The new filter only allows mail from people on the guest list. The guest list is built as people mail me, so don't be alarmed by the auto-request. I'm slowly adding people.
It's a shame you have to take extreme measures like this to keep e-mail useful. But I'm being buried in the stuff. So far, every bit of spam has been filtered out.
The volume of spam I get is overwhelming so I have had to go to strict filtering. Some mail is going to lost. Some people will feel insulted by the auto-reply. I'm very sorry. But the amount of spam has doubled over the past few months.
Yes, a lot of people don't like this system and some really don't like it. The new filter only allows mail from people on the guest list. The guest list is built as people mail me, so don't be alarmed by the auto-request. I'm slowly adding people.
It's a shame you have to take extreme measures like this to keep e-mail useful. But I'm being buried in the stuff. So far, every bit of spam has been filtered out.
The nudist menace (cont.)
Mark Foley's laughable crusade against kids in nudist camps bears fruit. The Department of Children & Families, which doesn't have the people or money it needs to deal with serious cases of child abuse -- See this story about a persistant but improving case backlog -- will instead use scarce personnel and resources to investigate nudist camps.
Quite a victory, Rep. Foley. I can't wait to see it trumpeted in your TV ads when you run for Senate.
Quite a victory, Rep. Foley. I can't wait to see it trumpeted in your TV ads when you run for Senate.
